Conservative peer joins Clare Balding, Alastair Stewart, Anneka Rice and others for celebratory fundraiser in aid of RDA
This year’s RDA Gala Awards will welcome Baroness Dido Harding as after dinner speaker, addressing a host of celebrity guests including Alastair Stewart, Anneka Rice, Sophie Christiansen, Lord Jeffrey Archer and others. The annual awards night, hosted by Clare Balding, celebrates the achievements of the charity’s riders, horses and volunteers.
“RDA is an extraordinary organisation that has always inspired me,” said Baroness Dido. “And it’s a huge honour to be asked to speak at the RDA Gala Awards evening.”
In addition to Baroness Dido’s after dinner speech, actor Peter Egan will present the RDA Horse of the Year, sponsored by Snuggy Hoods; The Volunteer of the Year award, sponsored by Godolphin, will be presented by Anneka Rice, and the Young Volunteer of the Year, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, will be presented by Alastair Stewart. The RDA Rider of the Year will be presented by Sophie Christiansen CBE and is once again kindly sponsored by Childs Farm.
“The Gala awards is our biggest night of the year, celebrating the achievements of RDA groups from all over the UK,” says organiser Sal Atkinson. “It’s fun, informative, inspirational – and always a bit emotional! We are so lucky to have the support of Baroness Dido and our other celebrity guests, who give their time to help make it such a special night for everyone. We hope to raise a huge amount on the night so we can do even more to enable disabled children and adults to benefit from our amazing horses and ponies.”
The event takes place at Shakespeare’s Underglobe on London’s South Bank on September 26. Tickets are available from Sal Atkinson at RDA UK satkinson@rda.org.uk.
About Baroness Dido Harding
In August 2014 Dido was offered a Peerage and now sits in the House of Lords as a Conservative Peer. She was appointed to the Economic Affairs Committee of the Lords in July 2017. She is a non-executive director on The Court of The Bank of England and Chair of the Bank’s Remuneration Committee. Dido was Chief Executive of TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC from 2010 to May 2017.
Prior to TalkTalk, Dido was Sainsbury’s convenience director, having been appointed to Sainsbury’s operating board in March 2008. Dido joined Sainsbury’s from Tesco PLC where she held a variety of senior roles both in the UK and international businesses. Prior to this, she worked at Kingfisher plc and Thomas Cook Limited where she gained considerable retail experience. She has also served on the boards of The British Land Company PLC and Cheltenham Racecourse.
She is a trustee of Doteveryone and a member of the UK National Holocaust Foundation Board. Dido is married to Conservative politician John Penrose, has 2 children and in what spare time she has left is a jockey and racehorse owner.